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Why Many Christians Quit | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  What a celebratory day. Amen.
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  I encourage you that after the service that you greet and thank
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  the deacons and also the new members that will be
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  acknowledged after the message, just greet them and thank God
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  for them. And and is let's establish that
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  culture of being a family, a family in the faith and as well
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  after the service, I want to also mention.
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  If you do desire to be baptized, please meet with Pastor Daniel
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  Bend NE and approach. And he will give you directions
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  of how to be prepared for that day and so just please keep that
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  in mind. No more announcements meet me in
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  your Bibles in the book is second Timothy.
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  And chapter and chapter 4. And together, we sang.
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  And worship hasn't concluded. Now, we worship over the word of
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  God as it is. Washed over us.
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  And second Timothy chapter 41, verse to consider this
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  afternoon. One verse that we will meditate
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  on one verse that we believe suffice has to hear what God has
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  to say to us in this day and verse 5.
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  We read ask for you. Always be sober-minded endure
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  suffering do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your
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  ministry. Lori, ask you that, you would
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  empower the ministry of the word.
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  We ask You O, Lord and we confess that our love is often
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  small, and it is cold. The Lord, take the fire.
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  That Jeremiah said, was your word and let it consume our
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  hearts. Let it burn up all the dross,
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  all the things that we've gathered, that, that mean,
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  nothing that are trivial that are broken and unfulfilled
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  longing. Well, we pray that you would do
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  a cleansing work. As we receive your word, we
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  pray, O, Lord, that this word would not be measured by
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  eloquence or even passion, but Lord, let the word do its work
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  and let us since the power of the Holy Spirit as he works
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  through the word into our hearts, this Is our deepest
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  desire that Christ would be seen that he would be cherished and
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  adored as his word is spoken to us.
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  And so Lord, as you did on that mount hide all men, except the
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  God man Christ Jesus, in our midst, in our hearts, in Jesus
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  name, we pray, amen. This short verse is what we will
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  give our attention to today. And it is really a summary of
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  Paul's instructions to Timothy. It just really crystallizes
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  everything that he's been saying up to this point.
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  And as we look at this, this is directly given to a man who is
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  called to be a minister. And a pastor of a church in his
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  day, the Apostle himself is ready to share with his
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  spiritual son of his soon, departure into glory.
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  And the reward that awaits him because he was a servant of
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  Christ and of the gospel and after touching on that Will
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  conclude his letter by giving practical instructions for
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  immediate needs concerning him and, and warnings that dealt
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  with their world. But as we will see in the coming
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  weeks though, there is a context of do.
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  It is clear that it is between two men and the Ministries that
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  they represent, it is Rich with meaning for us today and we will
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  learn that in the coming Sunday is of the Lord Wills.
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  But today, as we look at this one verse, as we look at this
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  particular piece of scripture, we see four charges given to us
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  in like, bullet point fashion and we can take our time on each
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  of these charges and commands. But instead of looking at each
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  of them in great detail, we will focus on the last command, the
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  last command, while not neglecting the others.
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  But we want to just hear these three words and what they mean
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  as they really Piss. And they really summarize what
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  Timothy's duty is and what is yours and mine as well.
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  Fulfill your ministry. Fulfill your ministry.
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  Paul is about to spell out those heart-stirring words that I'm
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  sure you have heard at the funerals of faithful Saints.
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  I fought the good fight, I have finished the race.
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  I have kept the faith. I can't imagine being able to
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  say anything less than that of my own life.
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  And I hope you, you hope to stay the same at the end of yours.
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  And this man who was a spiritual father with all of his heart
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  desired for his Protege desired for this man, that he is
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  watched, grow over the years and his faith and in his practice.
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  And in his ministry, he wants him to be able to ReSound that
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  same declaration when his appointment with death arrives.
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  But the only way that Timothy can share in that sweet
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  experience. The only way that he would be
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  able to reflect back on his journey throughout his days on
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  the earth and be convinced that it wasn't a waste.
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  The only way that he can even know a certain excitement at he,
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  as he is ready to enter into eternity is if he fulfilled his
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  ministry. It can only come by knowing that
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  you have done, just that. And Paul's desire for Timothy is
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  the leadership desire for you that every single one of you in
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  this place would know now. And you would know at the end of
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  your life, I have indeed fulfilled my Ministry.
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  But what does that mean? What does that imply?
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  It is to commit yourself to the assignment that God has given to
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  you until you arrived into Glory.
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  It speaks about way of life. One that is serious about
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  steadfast service to the Lord. A wholehearted commitment and
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  desire to be diligent to serving God and the way that he has
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  ordained for you and the way that he has planned for you and
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  the way that he has prepared for you to fulfill means to make
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  completion of Means that, you know, that with the grace and
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  the time and the strength, and the flexibility that you have
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  been given, you've done all that, you can to fulfill the
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  duties of the unique Ministry that the Lord Jesus Christ has
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  called you to for the Long Haul. Fulfill your ministry.
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  And it is in that pursuit of life that you and I will know a
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  richness of the soul. And it is in that pursuit of
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  life that you and I will have a confidence that they're awaits
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  us, a reservation of rewards that will outshine all the
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  trophies and prizes that this world can offer.
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  Fulfill your ministry. Fulfill your ministry before,
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  Paul is about to speak of his death before.
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  He's about to get personal, he gives this charge Timothy, I beg
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  of you, make sure that your life surrounds around this knowledge.
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  I am serving the lord, everything orbits around that it
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  is not a piece of the pie. It is the pie itself and I fill
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  it with all the other things that I must do as a human that
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  needs to survive in this life. Fulfill your ministry.
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  And the spirit of God who expressed this desire for
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  Timothy through, Paul has no lesser expectations for you and
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  I at this time in church history, I know things are busy.
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  I know things are distracting. I know technology has developed.
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  I know a lot of things have advanced since Timothy's day but
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  one thing hasn't changed. You have a call in your life.
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  When God extended his hand and gave you the opportunity to be
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  saved. He also extended his hand.
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  Once you said yes to serve him in a particular way it's not
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  that some have received salvation While others have
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  received salvation and a special call.
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  If you have been saved, God has also predestined for you.
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  A particular way of life that will glorify him as you are in
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  dwelt with his holy spirit. The holy spirit is not going to
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  make you a puppet. He invites you into fulfilling
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  your ministry. That's not really a complex
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  subject that's Sunday, school level, understanding of the
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  basics of this Faith but as much as you and I have heard that
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  growing up our allies and and almost doesn't have impact
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  anymore because we're so familiar with him industry.
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  I know I'm supposed to serve God and do this.
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  We all might understand generally that every Christians
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  to serve God to a specific capacity.
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  But the fact that this charge is laid out tells us that it's
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  possible to miss the mark to actually miss the Mark.
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  I can believe that all Christians should honor God with
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  practical service but I can also miss the opportunities that the
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  Lord would have for me from the moment.
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  I said, yes, until the moment when he says it's time to come
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  home, And that's what I want to address today.
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  Because those same people who would acknowledge that yes God
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  has called me to a specific Ministry might have at one point
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  of their lives usually in the early stages of Salvation.
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  Be totally consumed with the desire to do nothing else but
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  reserved all your resources and give all your time as much as
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  possible to knowing that you play a part in advancing the
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  kingdom of God with your contribution.
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  But why is it that when we study the trajectory of Christians
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  lives? Why is it that over time?
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  Many of them in their service to God, in their Zeal for God, and
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  their dedication, to a particular Ministry of
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  Ministries, fizzle out down to Mere Church, attendance Why is
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  it that many good-hearted? Christians lose heart?
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  Why is it that that dissipate? Why is it that it evaporates?
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  And we feel as though, we're just comfortable.
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  Observing Our Lives play out before us without
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  intentionality. How does that happen?
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  Well, this message, aims to provide those insights and
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  understanding those insights. I pray that you and I would
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  protect ourselves from these pitfalls that have sabotage,
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  many callings and have stolen, many crowns that were prepared
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  to be laid on the Brows of those who have put their faith in
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  Christ. I want to, I want to tell you
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  today, why Christians quit? I'm not talking about pastors
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  quitting the ministry. They do in an alarming rate
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  every month by the way. I'm not speaking about pastors
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  and speaking, about every single, one of us who's been
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  called to serve the Lord, and that can be hidden.
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  That can be through speaking, that could be through serving,
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  but why is it that so many Christians quit?
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  They don't quit on the faith. They don't quit on hearing
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  sermons, they don't quit on attending a local church but
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  their hands. Their hands are not on a
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  specific plow. There are no Calais marks.
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  There are no scars, there's no dirt underneath their
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  fingernails. How does that happen?
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  I want to give you very simple insights.
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  That will hopefully protect you. And I, from ever, ever, ever
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  living a life that is meaningless.
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  If your ambition in life, is to retire somewhere and a nice home
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  where you paid off all your debts and you get to travel a
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  bit more than you did before that you have a little bit more
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  freedom than you did when you re raising kids, I'm telling you
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  that is not God's plan for your life.
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  God wants you to serve him until your dying breath.
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  God wants you to be spent for him.
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  God has put too much in you for you to look, no different than
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  those who are pursuing the American dream.
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  There's a kingdom dream. There is a vision Beyond this
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  life and that's what makes Christians so unique.
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  Not just where we're going because we put our faith in the
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  perfect savior. But how we're getting there?
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  And what we're doing in the meantime.
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  Can I tell you why? Some Christians, do not fulfill
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  their Ministry. Let me give you one meet me in
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  the book of Colossians chapter 4.
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  Colossians chapter 4. Let's go to verse 17 together.
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  This book is one of the most gripping.
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  Letters that portrays the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
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  But in this wonderful wonderful spelled out theological
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  Masterpiece, you come to verse 17 and you see that the Apostle
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  Paul makes a personal appeal to a man named Mark Hoppus.
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  And what does he say to our campus and verse 17 of
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  Colossians chapter 4, he says, and say to our campus See that
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  you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord?
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  See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received
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  in the Lord? Our capacity is only mentioned
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  here and in the book of Philemon that's it.
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  We don't have much to work with. But whoever this, man, our
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  campus is, we can, at least make to strong conclusions about who
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  he is. And number one, the first thing
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  that we can understand about this man is that he himself
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  knew, What he was given by the Lord for the Lord.
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  He knew what he was supposed to do as a Christian.
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  If you ask them, what is your ministry?
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  What do you do? What's your service?
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  He can, he can tell it to you, he can, he can spell it out.
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  You can say, this is how I serve in my local church.
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  This is what I do with my resources.
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  This is what occupies my time. But what's concerning here is,
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  apparently there's some hesitation apparently there's
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  some loss of enthusiasm here enough for Paul, the Apostle to
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  be concerned concerned enough to write this out in a letter that
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  would be read publicly, not just to one church but different
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  churches. I mean, he's calling him out.
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  We're not giving the reason why. But one thing that we want to
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  touch on is this, he knew what it was and someone wants to
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  encourage that as you come to this verse, why don't you
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  replace our campuses name with your own?
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  And read it as though, it was directed to you and see how your
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  heart response to such an admonition.
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  So I come to this verse and I read and to, and say, to Daniel,
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  say to Daniel Batar, say see that you fulfill the ministry
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  that you have received in the Lord.
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  I put your name there, mentally and read that over and over
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  again. And then ask yourself, how does
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  your heart respond? Would you say something along
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  the lines of as a response to Paul?
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  I understand. But Paul I got to be honest I
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  don't know what it is that the Lord has called me to.
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  I don't know what I have received in the Lord.
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  I don't know what my part is to play.
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  I don't know what I am to exactly fulfill.
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  If that is the case and my question to you is in response.
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  Are you satisfied with remaining in the unknown?
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  Is that not challenge you? This is not cause you to
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  prayerfully consider what it is that the Lord has called you.
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  What he has reserved for you to receive because God's will for
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  you. God's will for you is not just
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  for archivist. It's for all of us in this place
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  is that you would discover what he has planned for you.
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  And it's not much of a mystery. God is more eager for you to
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  obey him. Then you are to obey him.
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  God is more eager for you to experience the joys of serving
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  him than you are. And so we have to understand
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  here. there are copies new and he was not to remain idle.
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  He was to be active, he was to be engaged.
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  He was to be busy. Therefore, pray fully evaluate
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  your desires if you want to know how you can come one step closer
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  to understanding what it is that the Lord has called you to
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  prayerfully, evaluate your desires as indicators of how you
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  might serve God. Paul use that same thing with
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  Elders. As those who desire, the office
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  of a overseer, desire. What did the passions in your
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  heart? What do you feel like you're
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  inclined to if you just let your thoughts rest.
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  What do you see? Happening.
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  What brings you Joy? What brings you excite?
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  What motivates, you examine such a thing?
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  And it from that place also consider your gifts as
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  indicators, of how you can be effective for the glory of God.
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  Desire is one thing but then look at the ability, there's a
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  match. The desire though I may not be
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  matured, there has to be some kind of skill.
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  What is the gifting? What is natural to you?
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  What flows out of you, what is not forced?
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  What is there that has a Grace and that others can recognize
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  when you do this. I'm blessed.
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  I can smell the fragrance of the spirit of God through that as
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  you serve in such a way. And from there also, examine the
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  needs around you. And do not think little of them.
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  Everybody that wants to know, God's will wants a message from
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  Heaven. They want an angel to appear in
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  their room, but it's much more simple than that to understand.
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  And to fulfill your ministry does not mean that you will have
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  some ministerial position that you have some title that you
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  have some long-term tenor, that's not the case.
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  It can be as simple as opportunities that come up from
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  time to time and you joyfully submitting yourself.
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  To that opportunity, knowing that you're fulfilling a need.
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  It can be seasonal, it can be sporadic, it can be here and
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  there, but, you know, within your soul, I am doing something
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  for the Lord. And the question is, after
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  knowing that archivist, understood what his ministry us.
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  As you heard earlier. Why isn't that he is not walking
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  in it. I would like to add, even this
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  thought that in your pursuit of wanting to know what it is that
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  the Lord has called. You consider the undefined
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  Ministry that our campus is called to.
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  We aren't told what he's supposed to be doing here.
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  Some have guessed was it a pastoral position?
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  Was he a deacon? What was he doing in here?
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  And I believe that the mystery is Divine Design.
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  I believe the fact that is not spelled out.
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  Invites us to realize that no matter what type of ministry
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  that it is. Wherever God has called, you
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  whatever it is that he has predetermined for you to be
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  providentially position in it. Deserves eagerness, it deserves
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  wholehearted commitment. It deserves for you to give
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  yourself over with all that is in your heart, it's not just a
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  particular Ministry, it's a Ministry, the ministry that God
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  has invited you in some would guess that the reason why our
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  Corpus is not in this, the way he's supposed to be, is from a
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  clue in the verse right before it And when this letter has been
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  read among you have, it also read in the Church of the
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  laodiceans and see that. You also read the letter from
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  laodicea and say to our campus. See that you fulfill the
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  ministry that you've received in the Lord.
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  How does that connect? Well, one tradition is as not
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  dogmatic. This is not this.
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  You can be opinionated about this and your salvation will be
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  secure, okay? Some would say that the flow of
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  thought here, might indicate that our campus was a member of
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  the church in laodicea. He was either a leader of that
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  church, or he was some prominent figure within that congregation
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  or he was just somebody who just attended there was a member of
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  that local assembly. And if it is the case that our
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  campus was from that church, Where laodicea is also mentioned
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  is in the Book of Revelation chapter 3.
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  It is the church that is known for being lukewarm.
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  It is a church that is being condemned by Christ for not
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  being completely worldly but not being blazing hot for the Lord
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  either. And if tradition is right then
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  for archivists to be from their makes total sense.
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  Why he is not fulfilling his ministry.
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  He is among those that gathered as a church regularly but were
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  lukewarm they were you know is one day they're in it one day,
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  they're not there. They were not totally sold out
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  for the cause, but some days were better than others.
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  You can find the one day where they are blazing for the Lord.
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  And other day stretch of time there.
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  They just cold and indifferent. One of the signs of lukewarmness
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  is a lack of care of whether or not you are actually serving the
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  lord. It's not even a burden, that's
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  void. It's just, I'm just here.
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  I'm just floating in this church.
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  I'm just floating in life if our campus rust from that church.
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  Then, could it be that lukewarmness plagued, his heart.
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  And one of the ways in which, you can see that dominating.
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  Somebody's soul is when their hands are not busy.
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  Is when they're not willing to lay down their lives, in some
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  particular way, there's no inquiry, there's no prayer,
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  there's no law or what is it that you have of me?
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  Like, what Paul says, on the road to Damascus?
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  What shall I do? Lord that, that question isn't
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  asked. It's not sought after.
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  And the Church of laodicea. What was the problem?
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  Well, they were satisfied and riches.
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  They were satisfied in luxury. They actually boasted in how
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  much they were succeeding in life and God says you're
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  pitiable. You're poor, you're naked.
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  You're blind. In the world.
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  You look like you're enjoying yourself.
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  You're having much pleasure and there's Comfort there.
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  But are you fulfilling your ministry?
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  Are you fulfilling your ministry?
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  I have to say quite honestly that many Christians can live
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  decades in the faith and that that's, that's never a concern.
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  It might have been at one point but it's never a reoccurring
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  theme in their lives. Wherever God places.
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  You that question should be asked.
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  Okay, Lord here I am at this place, may not be my choice, it
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  may not be where I necessarily plan to be but what is it that
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  you have for me to do here? Fulfill your ministry.
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  The reason why people give up, is there even started to begin
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  with. They don't know, and they are
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  content with that. But I would also want to say
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  something that as I'm bringing this before you, some people are
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  really burdensome times because of the mystery of what it is.
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  They make it very complicated or it's not sophisticated enough or
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  it's not obvious enough or doesn't seem to be as impactful
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  as what's happening right here. What happens here for 25 minutes
• 23:15
  on a Sunday. May I show you how God values
• 23:19
  all Ministry. May I show you how God Praises,
• 23:22
  what we would often ignore and neglect.
• 23:25
  It's an obscure texts that often people read over and don't
• 23:27
  consider the impact of, but the Holy Spirit saw no.
• 23:31
  So necessary for us to read those simple versus in order to
• 23:34
  understand how God views every person fulfilling their
• 23:38
  Ministry. Third John, let's go to that
• 23:42
  epistle together. It's only a few verses.
• 23:52
  And look at verse five, no chapters.
• 23:54
  Only one, look at verse 5. John, the Apostle is writing to
• 24:00
  a man named Gaius. And he says, in verse 5 beloved
• 24:06
  it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these
• 24:09
  brothers strangers, as they are, who testified to your love
• 24:13
  before the church, you will do well to send them on their
• 24:17
  journey in a manner. Worthy of God, what's Happening
• 24:20
  Here. John is praising this man named
• 24:23
  Gaius, because he was putting much effort into doing, what
• 24:27
  when missionaries would travel by when they would come by his
• 24:30
  street, his town, he opened his doors.
• 24:33
  And he gave him a bed to sleep in.
• 24:35
  He gave them food. He gave them a little money for
• 24:38
  travel. He brought them in from the
• 24:41
  cold. He protected him from threats
• 24:43
  outside. All Gaius did was nurture and
• 24:49
  Supply, the needs of the sent ones who would go out to preach
• 24:52
  the gospel. And he's saying it is a faithful
• 24:55
  thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers and they were
• 25:00
  strangers. He didn't know them.
• 25:02
  It's like, as those speaker was coming to this church and
• 25:05
  somebody would volunteer and say, let him stay at my place.
• 25:09
  I know of a church, then when they have their conference big
• 25:12
  church, what they do is they don't put their pastors and
• 25:15
  hotels, but the members of the church, all open their homes.
• 25:17
  To these pastors, who are coming for that Pastors conference.
• 25:20
  It's the same idea here. But look, what are you goes on
• 25:23
  to say in verse 7, for, they have gone out for the sake of
• 25:26
  the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles unbelievers.
• 25:29
  Now look at verse 8, therefore we ought to support people like
• 25:33
  these that we may be able to be fellow workers for the truth.
• 25:39
  Now here's the thing, we applaud the ones who are sent out, we
• 25:44
  applaud the missionaries and the evangelists the ones who put
• 25:47
  their time and effort on the street corners and in the
• 25:50
  jungles. And to go from conference to
• 25:52
  conference, to build up the Church of Jesus Christ.
• 25:56
  God Praises them as well but he also applauds the ones who take
• 26:00
  care of them. Not just the scent, but the
• 26:06
  supporters of the sent. There's a whole letter here
• 26:09
  dedicated to that Ministry. And not only that, he actually
• 26:14
  says that we may be in the verse of verse 8 and verse a fellow
• 26:19
  workers for the truth. So it's not some sub Ministry.
• 26:23
  It's a partnership in God's eyes, who would have thought,
• 26:28
  who would have thought that the shunammite woman who opened her
• 26:32
  room for Elijah or Elijah rather?
• 26:35
  What's the fit in this kind of Praise with to be, was to be
• 26:37
  commended the same way guys, was all she did, is that she notice
• 26:41
  that this man would come in and out of town.
• 26:43
  And so, she asked her husband, why don't we do something for
• 26:45
  this profit? And so they build a room and I,
• 26:48
  whenever he came to town, he would come.
• 26:50
  And and she would feed, I'm sure it was wonderful Middle Eastern
• 26:52
  food. And that's all that's all he
• 26:56
  received. A place to sleep and food to
• 26:59
  eat. And whatever that woman thought
• 27:02
  in that moment. According to this, with the
• 27:04
  harmony of scripture, she was a faithful partner a fellow worker
• 27:09
  to the prophet of God. So sometimes as we sit here, we
• 27:15
  hear challenging message on being a minister and being a
• 27:18
  serve and then being a slave of Jesus Christ.
• 27:21
  We wonder okay well what is it? Send me as a martyr.
• 27:24
  Wherever I got to go, hold on. God may call you to be a martyr
• 27:27
  and he'll make it very clear and you'll give you the grace to
• 27:29
  endure the sword. But what if it is got, if God is
• 27:33
  just calling to open your house. Is that a lesser thing in your
• 27:37
  eyes? It's not to him.
• 27:41
  What if his is just to pray for those who preach?
• 27:44
  That's what you're supposed to do.
• 27:46
  Just take a little bit more time in your day to dedicate time to
• 27:49
  showering. The men that you know, who
• 27:50
  Proclaim God's word with intercession What if what if
• 27:55
  it's just you intentionally coming intentionally reflecting
• 28:00
  on people that you know of this church and you will Target
• 28:03
  people with sincere prayed up Spirit lead encouragement.
• 28:11
  You know how God sees it, you're a fellow worker.
• 28:15
  To the Grand drama of redemption in the world, you are a fellow
• 28:20
  worker. Whatever it is whether it's
• 28:23
  opening your house or being the person who goes from house to
• 28:26
  house because you preach and you have an itinerant Ministry.
• 28:29
  God sees it as a partnership. He will praise them equally.
• 28:36
  The reason why people don't fulfill their Ministries because
• 28:40
  don't even know what it is. They don't really care to know
• 28:43
  what it is. That's a tragedy because Paul
• 28:47
  says see to it meaning. Hey, make sure our campus knows
• 28:51
  I'm calling him out. You can't be idle.
• 28:54
  You got to get busy, God's called you to something and were
• 28:57
  feeling the neglect of your ministry, get to it again.
• 29:02
  Another reason why people do not fulfill their Ministry is back
• 29:05
  in our main text. Let's go back to 2nd Timothy 4
• 29:07
  5. at first glance, when we read that verse, they kind of seem
• 29:19
  like disconnected commands But when you reflect on it long
• 29:25
  enough and you actually merge them together, what you see is a
• 29:29
  wonderful insight to the potential of God's work in and
• 29:33
  through us. What do I mean we read be
• 29:35
  sober-minded endure suffering. Do the work of an evangelist,
• 29:39
  fulfill your ministry. Well what does that have to do
• 29:41
  with one another? I argue that you can make these
• 29:44
  commands and place them into two separate categories.
• 29:48
  The first to deal with Timothy's focus and attention to the inner
• 29:53
  N. Be sober, minded endure
• 29:58
  suffering. What does that mean?
• 30:01
  That that's internal. In other words, make sure you
• 30:04
  disciple yourself. Don't worry about preaching to
• 30:09
  your congregation preach certain truths to your own soul.
• 30:14
  Establish yourself from within you're going to have to wrestle
• 30:18
  with some of your thoughts Timothy.
• 30:20
  You're going to have to deflect certain lies that will try to
• 30:23
  weaken your convictions and your courage.
• 30:27
  So, before you do anything else, make sure that your mind is
• 30:29
  sober, make sure that you have the inner fortitude because the
• 30:34
  second reason why people do not endure in fulfilling their
• 30:38
  Ministry is because they have failed to understand the
• 30:41
  difficulties, there are in Ministry.
• 30:45
  Because look at the second set. The first set is inward.
• 30:48
  Look at the second one. Do the work of an evangelist,
• 30:51
  fulfill your ministry. Those are Timothy's energy and
• 30:55
  attention going to other men. The first set yourself, the
• 31:00
  second set to those around you and even as a pastor you're
• 31:04
  going to teach but do the work of an evangelist and what way
• 31:09
  Preach the gospel. As you teach God's word, there
• 31:12
  are people in your church. Timothy as a pastor, you're
• 31:16
  going to occupy much of your time around those who are
• 31:18
  Saints. But they're going to be people
• 31:20
  from within who are unconverted. Is that you today?
• 31:24
  Is that you today? Are you unsaved?
• 31:30
  The church is supposed to have pastors that in their teaching,
• 31:34
  verse by verse chapter book by book.
• 31:36
  Yes, through that should call, Sinners to repentance and faith.
• 31:42
  And that is why you hear the gospel from this Pulpit, almost
• 31:46
  regularly because pastors are called to preach to those in the
• 31:49
  midst. Who do not know Christ.
• 31:53
  Not just do the work of an evangelist.
• 31:56
  Fulfill your ministry, your pastor, still give your time to
• 32:00
  ministering into feeding the shepherding and counseling and
• 32:02
  praying with those who are walking with Jesus Christ.
• 32:07
  What's the point? You understand?
• 32:08
  These categories to our internal to our external and the the
• 32:13
  point of that organization is that you and I cannot be
• 32:18
  effective in our service to others unless we are first sound
• 32:23
  and secure in our own Souls. He didn't say, do the work of an
• 32:28
  evangelist, fulfill your ministry, be sober-minded and
• 32:32
  endure suffering that's to put the cart before the horse.
• 32:34
  He says, you need to be sober and you need to be ready.
• 32:39
  And then you can be an evangelist, and then you can
• 32:43
  fulfill your ministry. You have many Believers with
• 32:46
  Zeal and excitement, Who want to serve God.
• 32:51
  But they had no longevity. They burn out.
• 32:55
  They give up. They move from church to church.
• 33:00
  They sign up for a Ministry like Peter, they declare their
• 33:04
  dedication until death. And all it takes is a is a
• 33:08
  little trouble, a little turbulence and they're out.
• 33:11
  And now we got to fill it up again and then we gotta fill it
• 33:13
  up again. Why I'll give you one reason why
• 33:16
  they're not sober minded. And they are not prepared to
• 33:20
  suffer. What does Paul mean to be
• 33:23
  sober-minded means to be clear in your thinking means to be
• 33:27
  alert. It's the opposite of being
• 33:30
  influenced by external substances.
• 33:35
  When a man is drunk, he cannot control his thoughts.
• 33:38
  He is influenced by something else.
• 33:40
  Determining his words and his actions and his behavior what?
• 33:43
  He's telling his you before. Anything else, you need to get a
• 33:46
  grip on yourself. You better know how to be
• 33:50
  clear-headed. What's the context?
• 33:54
  Well, throughout this time, we've been hearing that the
• 33:56
  world that Timothy was living in, was going to change
• 33:58
  drastically. There's going to be a rise of
• 34:00
  depravity. There is going to be people
• 34:02
  lining up to going to these sir. How's the church's?
• 34:05
  We're teaching demonic things. And so with this shift coming
• 34:10
  with the hype of the newest and the latest with sin, all around
• 34:14
  them with events breaking out on the headlines.
• 34:18
  Timothy could be tempted to be influenced by such things.
• 34:21
  He could be swayed and so he had to be so Concrete in his
• 34:26
  Doctrine in his ministry, practice through the waves, that
• 34:29
  would crash on him and in his church, but not just the World
• 34:33
  At Large Timothy's personal World was going to be changed.
• 34:36
  His mentor has beloved friend, was going to die.
• 34:40
  He's not gonna be able to hold his hand.
• 34:41
  He's not gonna be able to send letters to encourage him from a
• 34:43
  distance. Timothy is going to go into the
• 34:46
  cloud. He's going to go into the storm
• 34:48
  by himself at least without Paul.
• 34:52
  With all of that being considered.
• 34:54
  Paul says, ask for you, Timothy, you better get control of your
• 34:59
  thoughts, Because unfortunately, if you are a person cannot be
• 35:07
  composed. And those who do not practice,
• 35:11
  sobriety of the Soul. Who are easily moved by breaking
• 35:17
  news, whether it's in your own life, or in the world, who are
• 35:20
  easily taken up by emotions, they're easily angered.
• 35:24
  They're easily made sad. Those people who are determined
• 35:29
  to serve God, but are also influenced by such things.
• 35:31
  Will not be able to fulfill their Ministry.
• 35:34
  You just not going to happen. He'll be sporadic.
• 35:37
  It'll be like fireworks. It will come here and there.
• 35:41
  But the ministry is that there will be a part of will suffer.
• 35:44
  Which brings us to the next point because they're not ready
• 35:47
  to suffer. Ministries and local churches
• 35:51
  often suffer because the people who are serving in those
• 35:55
  Ministries, did not anticipate the pain of serving God.
• 35:59
  Oh, you think it's just for pastors?
• 36:03
  Is a pastor, a separate body? Are we all not connected as
• 36:06
  members of one body? When my hand hurts the rest of
• 36:09
  my body feels it? When there is pain in my leg,
• 36:16
  it's screams throughout my my frame.
• 36:21
  You know, this. How much is Paul going to
• 36:25
  mention suffering in one letter? Join with me, in suffering,
• 36:28
  sufferings here suffering, their suffer suffer suffer, suffer,
• 36:31
  suffer suffer. So you think the Bible is trying
• 36:32
  to give us a hint Serving. Jesus Christ is not easy.
• 36:43
  If you believe otherwise you will not be able to fulfill your
• 36:47
  ministry. And if it is been easy, give it
• 36:51
  a little bit of time, if it has been easy for a long time, if it
• 36:55
  has been easy for years, maybe you're doing something wrong.
• 37:01
  It's costly. It's demanding, it's often
• 37:06
  underappreciated there are challenges from within and there
• 37:11
  are obstacles outside. Sometimes Ministry is often made
• 37:15
  more difficult because of stubborn Saints and often
• 37:19
  because of satanic forces that try to throw ministries of
• 37:24
  course. And again, all you have to do is
• 37:28
  be dedicated long enough to a church that preaches God's word
• 37:31
  for you to feel what I am talking about.
• 37:36
  It's a very unique experience. And as I said earlier, People
• 37:42
  suffer. Because Ministry suffer and
• 37:45
  Ministry suffer because the ministers weren't ready to
• 37:48
  suffer. Ask the people in the parking
• 37:52
  Ministry if there's such thing as obstacles.
• 37:56
  Ask people in the hospitality Ministry, are there challenges.
• 38:00
  Ask the people who serve in Sunday school.
• 38:02
  It's not roses. Ask any Ministry.
• 38:07
  If there is anything within that has caused them to be pressured,
• 38:13
  that's cause them to pray a little bit longer that's cause
• 38:15
  them to contemplate their involvement in that Ministry and
• 38:19
  you will know that there is suffering in every Ministry.
• 38:24
  People don't see it, people don't believe it.
• 38:27
  And some when it gets really hard believe that the solution
• 38:31
  is to go to another place where they will be less pain and less
• 38:34
  trouble you're in for a surprise.
• 38:37
  Reminds me of the Whimsical story of a preacher who shared
• 38:40
  about a pastor, who came to his wife one day because he had
• 38:43
  received the call from a town next door.
• 38:46
  And he was invited to be a pastor of another church.
• 38:49
  And so, he sits down with his wife.
• 38:50
  And he says, listen, I just got a call to another church.
• 38:54
  The church is larger. It's much better, the people
• 38:58
  cause less trouble. They are refined their cultured
• 39:02
  and they don't cause issues from within the pay is better.
• 39:06
  So get Honey, I'm gonna go upstairs and I'm going to ask
• 39:10
  the Lord if it's his will for us to move to that church.
• 39:16
  And his lovely wife, innocently said, fine, I'll come up with
• 39:19
  you and we'll pray together and he goes home.
• 39:20
  I know you stay down here and you pack.
• 39:30
  People don't want to stick it out.
• 39:35
  People have come into this thing, whether a pastoral
• 39:37
  position or anything else, Less in terms of involvement and
• 39:42
  demand. and when the going gets tough, I'm out of here.
• 39:50
  And I believe, we're seeing the repercussions of this
• 39:53
  individualistic mentality in the church and marriage and
• 39:58
  everything else. If it doesn't benefit me, the
• 40:04
  moment it begins. It gets costly and demands.
• 40:08
  I'm out of here. You will not be able to fulfill
• 40:11
  your ministry. Lastly.
• 40:18
  Why do people not fulfill? Why do people quit?
• 40:20
  Why do people give up? Why are people inconsistent
• 40:24
  Because they keep Desiring somebody else's Ministry.
• 40:28
  When Paul told Timothy to fulfill your ministry, he was
• 40:31
  calling him to be faithful to his ministry to his ministry.
• 40:37
  The one that God called them to nothing more.
• 40:40
  Nothing less than that. Even when he told to do a work
• 40:43
  of an evangelist, he didn't say, you are an evangelist.
• 40:45
  He didn't say become an evangelist.
• 40:46
  That's the office. He says, in your pasture, it.
• 40:49
  Make sure that you have Evangelistic qualities, you're a
• 40:53
  pastor still. Many Believers get themselves in
• 40:57
  trouble, you know why? Some because they are lazy in
• 41:01
  their own lane others because they want to drive in someone
• 41:04
  else's. Fulfill.
• 41:08
  Your ministry. There are some who strive to
• 41:12
  operate in something that God has not wired you for They did
• 41:17
  not receive a Grace to perform or execute it.
• 41:22
  Others want to feel more responsible.
• 41:24
  They want to feel as though they're making more of an impact
• 41:26
  serving people and because of that they neglect the exact role
• 41:29
  that they've been given because they've spread themselves, so
• 41:32
  thin and their attention is given house where except the
• 41:36
  very thing that God needs you for.
• 41:39
  And there are others who ran romanticize, what Ministry can
• 41:43
  offer to self or to a sense of identity.
• 41:47
  And so they begin to covet something that God is obviously
• 41:50
  not giving you or gifted you for and then because that's not met
• 41:55
  the disturbance of being covetous.
• 41:57
  Is now being felt among those who are trying to serve God.
• 42:03
  Can I tell you the most satisfying way to serve the most
• 42:07
  satisfying way to serve? God is when you are submitted to
• 42:10
  his providential permission. When you just just like make it
• 42:15
  simple, man, just make it so simple, just submit like, Lord.
• 42:20
  What is it? You know, my gifts here is the,
• 42:23
  here's the place. I'm at.
• 42:25
  Here's the family. I'm with, here's my schedule use
• 42:28
  me. Use me.
• 42:31
  I don't have to feel like I'm the savior of the world.
• 42:34
  I don't have to feel like I'm the next big thing just use me.
• 42:42
  That will save you from a lot. If you just simply believe that
• 42:46
  you are A Separate Peace with other separate pieces, that when
• 42:50
  put together is a masterpiece of God's Grand advancement of his
• 42:55
  kingdom and this generation, it's so enjoyable.
• 42:59
  It's so wonderful. We're all wearing the same
• 43:02
  jerseys were all wearing the same uniform.
• 43:04
  We all have the same cause And if we do that, right, that is
• 43:11
  the necessary ingredients for growth.
• 43:13
  If you're in this place today and you are passionate about
• 43:16
  seeing growth both in size because more means more people
• 43:19
  saved. And you believe that you want to
• 43:22
  see greater strength a greater testimonia, a brighter light
• 43:25
  greater power flowing from the place that you've committed
• 43:28
  yourself to, can I just tell you what we need to do, I'm closing
• 43:31
  with this verse just meet me there in Ephesians In Ephesians
• 43:34
  chapter 4. Ephesians 4:15 pulses.
• 43:49
  Rather speaking truth and love we are to grow up in every way
• 43:54
  into him. Who is the head into Christ from
• 43:58
  whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint
• 44:03
  with which it is equipped. Now, look at this, when each
• 44:07
  part is working properly, Makes the body grow so that it builds
• 44:14
  itself up in love. Do you know how we can be free
• 44:20
  from being stagnant? Do you know how we can be free
• 44:24
  from from just not seeing anything move throughout the
• 44:28
  years is when every single person is determined to say just
• 44:32
  just tell me what it is, Lord show me what it is, I will stay
• 44:36
  there, I will do it. If there's more, you'll give me
• 44:38
  the grace to do more, if it's just this then I will do it as
• 44:40
  best as I can by the empowerment of your Holy Spirit and when
• 44:44
  each when each part not in Bolt is moving and all the little
• 44:49
  tricks, all the little things. And any any kind of equipment or
• 44:53
  Kind of thing moves, then things begin to advance and more ground
• 44:58
  is taken up for the glory of God, we would get a much trouble
• 45:02
  if in our physical bodies, our fingers didn't want to operate
• 45:07
  in the way. They are call to operate because
• 45:08
  they're protesting to be ears. And if our right foot with
• 45:15
  Scream to us constantly in pain because it wanted to be a hand,
• 45:18
  we would be paralyzed And that sounds silly and that sounds
• 45:22
  ridiculous. But then what about the body of
• 45:24
  Christ? When there is different parts in
• 45:30
  the local assembly who have members, not willing to move in
• 45:34
  the way that God has called in to move.
• 45:36
  And instead of there being a concert, the same concept as you
• 45:39
  see, this happening right here, hopefully, it's not distracting.
• 45:43
  This concert of the body flowing and Unison.
• 45:46
  This body flowing in harmony instead of there being a
• 45:49
  concert. It's chaos.
• 45:54
  You see one arm limping. You see one leg not moving.
• 45:56
  And and and God is just saying, just if you just all trust in me
• 46:02
  and you just say, Lord, put me where I need to watch How I can
• 46:05
  I can fashion, you and watch the vitality and watch the grace.
• 46:09
  I will flow through this body, picking things up, moving
• 46:12
  forward, protecting itself. Only one each part is working
• 46:17
  properly. Why do many Christians not
• 46:20
  fulfill their Ministries? Some don't care.
• 46:24
  They, I mean, after this it's quite possible, you're just like
• 46:27
  whatever. Some did not anticipate the
• 46:31
  hardships that come with Ministry.
• 46:34
  And some complicate, the Simplicity of fulfilling the
• 46:36
  ministry that God has called you to.
• 46:39
  So, I hope and pray that with this charge, we would continue
• 46:43
  in the attitude and direction that we have been up to this
• 46:46
  point, fulfill your ministry. Let's pray.
• 47:07
  Louis, thank you for this word. Do we see the wonderful Insight
• 47:13
  of being able to allow your spirit to work in us first to be
• 47:17
  sober, minded and to endure suffering.
• 47:19
  Before we actually have any chance of being effective
• 47:22
  long-term to reaching the lost and fulfilling our ministry,
• 47:25
  among one another, and so Lord, help us be sober.
• 47:28
  Minded, help us, help us have the strength and the the honesty
• 47:34
  of the reality of serving you. When we lose hope and
• 47:38
  motivation, help us see Christ who serve the father with great
• 47:42
  challenges and those, three years, great, great obstacles,
• 47:46
  persecution, threats hunger, sleeplessness, sleeping in a
• 47:50
  storm. And we thank you for this body
• 47:54
  of people who want to serve. You may, that may that be true
• 47:58
  and the days and months and years to come that that what
• 48:02
  moved us forward? Yes your grace.
• 48:04
  Yes, your word, the Lord every part working properly We long to
• 48:10
  obey you and just be the part. That you have providentially
• 48:14
  allowed us to be. We give you worship now.
• 48:17
  In Jesus name, amen.